With the holidays behind us, January is a great time to reset our bodies for the year ahead. In my last post, I talked about skipping New Year’s resolutions, and creating healthy lifestyle changes and goals that will last. Co-Founder of Whole30, Melissa Hartwig, says in her introduction, that Whole30 will change your life. If you have never done Whole30 you may think, yeah right, nice marketing ploy. But I’m telling you, she’s right. My husband and I did our first Whole30 in May, 2017 and it transformed the way I think about food, and helped jumpstart this actual blog. You can read about my experience here. I have talked with so many that have tried Whole30, but weren’t able to stick it out for 30 days. Now that I am on my second round of the program, I’d like to share with you 8 Tips to help you make it through Whole30.
8 Tips to Help You Make it Through Whole30
1. Meal Planning is a Must
You cannot make it through Whole30 without a plan, you will fail miserably. It is essential to take the time to sit down and write out a weekly meal plan and grocery list. You will avoid so many trips to the grocery store, and a plan will help keep you on track with what you are cooking.
2. Meal Prep Will Save You Hours in the Kitchen
Whole30 is focused on eating real, fresh food, which means your refrigerator will be stacked to the brim with fresh produce (such a pretty sight)! If you follow me on Instagram, you know I am a huge advocate of meal prep, and washing/cutting all of your fruits and veggies when you get home from the grocery store. If you never choose to do this again, at least do it while you are on Whole30, it will save you so much time and it will help you make it through Whole30. I did not meal prep our first time through and I felt like all I did was cut up and wash produce all month. Prepping for the week, will save you hours in the kitchen and will help so much when you need to throw a quick salad or bowl together.
3. Research
Take advantage of all of the resources available today. Use Instagram, Pinterest, and blogs a lot! There are some really great grocery shopping guides on Pinterest that give you all of the Whole30 compliant foods at stores like Trader Joes, Aldi, Target and Walmart. This will save you so much time!! Do the research and take advantage of these resources.
4. Order the Necessities
You can definitely make your own condiments from scratch that are Whole30 compliant. However, for me personally, this overwhelms me when I am already trying to cook compliant meals, meal prep, and everything else. To each their own, but if you’re like me, there are plenty of products you can buy pre-made that are compliant! Tessemae and Primal Kitchen both have great condiments that are really delicious. If you are a member of Thrive Market, check out their selection of Primal Kitchen products. They have great prices on Primal Kitchen. Also, if you are a member of Thrive Market or are looking to become a member, you can search by Whole30 approved foods by putting Whole30 into the search bar and all approved foods will filter (yah for efficiency)!
5. Just Go To Bed
Especially in the beginning, there may be some nights you’re just a little grouchy because you are craving something sweet or salty. My best advice to you is, just go to bed, and you will be better in the morning! I did this so many nights our first time through. It is hard to resist the temptation at 10pm sometimes, and you are better to just end the day!
6. Don’t Do the Program Alone
Especially your first time through, I strongly encourage you to find someone to do Whole30 with. Having another person to keep you accountable, bounce ideas off of, and encourage you is really helpful. It is not an absolute must, but if you can find someone to do the program with you, I’d recommend it (your spouse is a great place to start if you’re married).
7. Keep it Simple
Don’t overcomplicate the meal plan. There are some delicious recipes floating around Instagram and Pinterest, but if you try a new recipe every day, you will quickly burn out, and this will not help you make it through Whole30. Instead, try making a few new recipes a week, while also sticking to what you know and can easily make. In addition, MAKE EXTRA of meals!!! Double your dinner so you have a quick and already made lunch for the next day. Embrace leftovers during the 30 days. Do not feel like you have to make a different meal every single day, you will burn out and feel really exhausted. Do the same breakfast for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and do another same breakfast on Tuesday and Thursday. In the real world, do you eat a different breakfast 7 days a week? Probably not. So don’t feel like you have to become a master chef on Whole30.
8. Have Some Emergency Snacks on Hand
Snacks are not highly encouraged on Whole30, but realistically, you will need some here and there. Have your go to snacks available for those days you just really need something. I love these beef jerky snack sticks, and these bars for a quick snack I can stick in my purse if needed.
Recommended Whole30 Compliant and Approved Foods:
There are a lot of really great products that I found during our first round of Whole30 that I buy on a regular basis now. In addition, the Whole30 website does a great job showing what products are Whole30 compliant, to help you make it through Whole30. Another great resource is the @whole30approved Instagram account, I would recommend following. Below are some products I have tried and personally recommend.
Applegate
Larabars (not all Larabars are Whole30 compliant, check labels)
RxBars (not all RxBars are Whole30 compliant, check labels)
LaCroix
Whole30.com Resources
The Whole30 website has some great resources! If you do not own the Whole30 book, you can absolutely read through the website and still get a great overview of the program. Below are some products/links I would recommend before you begin. Bookmark these links because you will reference them several times throughout the 30 days.
Let’s Keep In Touch
I know of so many taking part in Whole30 January and I am anxious to go through this journey with all of you! Being my second time through, I am curious to see what new things I discover about my trigger foods and how I feel at the end of 30 days. Keep track of your daily thoughts and progress, I would love to hear about your experience at the end of 30 days. And please reach out to me at any point if you need some encouragement or have any questions! Let’s do this!! I promise, if you implement these 8 tips above, you really can make it through Whole30!